Penn State seeks visiting biz journalism professor

The Pennsylvania State University will host a visiting business journalism professor in spring 2015 under an Arizona State University program funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

This is the fourth year the foundation has funded business journalism professors at universities to encourage development of stronger business journalism education. The $1.67 million grant is administered through the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

“One of our goals in funding this grant was to broaden the reach of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism into other institutions across the country,” said Steve Anderson, president of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, in a statement.

“This year, another grantee will join the existing cadre of institutions that will be able to enhance and expand their ability to teach the principles and skills necessary to train the next generation of business journalists.”

The five-year program will ultimately create 11 visiting professorships at 11 different schools.

Marie Hardin, associate dean in Penn State’s College of Communications, said, “This grant gives us the boost we need to develop a strong business reporting program, and having a Reynolds visiting professor here for a semester will help us develop a curriculum that will be forward-thinking, relevant and appealing to students.”

She said the school will soon begin identifying potential candidates for the position.

Prospective professors apply here.